Three towns, three states and a holiday that feels like 1995. Here’s where Aussies are looking this spring.

A lake to swim in, a country bakery and a river you can paddle by afternoon. New Airbnb data suggests that’s the holiday more Australian families are looking for this spring.

Searches by family travellers for Berri Barmera, in South Australia’s Riverland, are up 115 per cent year-on-year, according to the platform. Nannup, in WA’s South West, is up 70 per cent, and Wodonga, on the Victorian side of the Murray, is up 50 per cent.

What’s driving the country town holiday

Airbnb’s accompanying research points to nostalgia. More than 70 per cent of Australians surveyed agreed the best holidays are the simplest ones. Nearly two in three said being close to nature – a beach, a river or a walking trail – is what most brings back happy childhood holiday memories.

The details respondents named are specific: small towns, fewer crowds, local bakeries, fish and chip shops, and pubs. Distance isn’t the barrier you might expect either. Forty-seven per cent of working Australians said a two-to-three-hour drive is enough to switch off.

Airbnb’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Susan Wheeldon, says the shift is clear: “The great Aussie getaway is booming, and it’s heading to the bush."

Berri Barmera, SA

Barmera sits on the shore of Lake Bonney, a freshwater lake fed by the Murray River, about 226 kilometres north-east of Adelaide. The lake has sandy beaches and safe swimming areas, with barbecues and picnic shelters along the foreshore.

It also has a claim to fame: Donald Campbell set an Australian water speed record on Lake Bonney in 1964, and monuments on the shore mark the run.

Time your visit for the monthly Barmera Markets, stop for a coffee at the Barmera Bakery and take a look at the Art Deco Bonney Theatre, built in 1938. Wine lovers can head to Banrock Station, about 15 minutes away.

Where to stay: Cally’s Lake House in Barmera keeps you close to the water. Settler’s Retreat at Bookmark Creek is a short drive up the river in Renmark.

Nannup, WA

Nannup is a former timber town on the Blackwood River, a little over three hours’ drive south of Perth. Spring is its season: wildflowers line the forest trails, including the Kondil Wildflower Walk just across the river from town.

Hire a canoe and paddle the Blackwood, or swim at Barrabup Pool, a waterhole in the forest. On the road towards Bridgetown, Donnelly River Village lets kids hand-feed the resident kangaroos and emus.

Back in town, there’s the Nannup Hotel and the Nannup Hot Bread Shop, South West WA’s only Art Deco bakery.

Where to stay: Cleves Hut is in Nannup, while The Gully is a secluded forest retreat in East Nannup.

Wodonga, Vic

Wodonga is the Victorian half of the Albury–Wodonga border cities, about three and a half hours’ drive from Melbourne. It’s the biggest of the three towns here, but the Murray River sets the pace.

Gateway Island Parklands, between the two cities, has about 20 kilometres of trails along the river, plus picnic areas and free barbecues. On Saturday mornings, the Albury Wodonga Farmers Market sets up at Gateway Village nearby.

For views over both cities, take a picnic up to Huon Hill Parklands. For a longer ride, the High Country Rail Trail starts in Wodonga.

Where to stay: “Huonview" House on the Hill is in Wodonga. Closer to the centre of town, “Loyola" The Cozy Church Cottage is a renovated 1906 cottage that once served the old church.